Hisense is a brand that I have always associated with television sets, but having the Hisense Infinity PureShot LTE (L671) smartphone to review changed my perception.
As more and more Chinese smartphone brands descend on the South African market, Hisense released the Infinity PureShot earlier this month. Other similar brands from China are Xiaomi, Huawei and ZTE.
The biggest pro about the Infinity PureShot is its price: it retails at R3 499. This is relatively cheap if we compare it to the likes of high-end peers like the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge + which costs R14 879. The Hisense device is thus ideal for those who want the experience of a modern smartphone without the hefty price tag.
Look and feel
The Infinity PureShot I reviewed was white. It measures 140.3 x 70 x 8.3mm, the same size as the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge when the phones are put alongside one another. Its back cover is made of plastic, which feels rather fragile when taking it off to insert the battery. The material feels like it could snap at any time.
However, the phone's look is enhanced by its aluminium edges which give a bit of sleekness. There are three buttons on the upper right side of the smartphone - two for volume controls and the power button which sits at the bottom.
The device features a five-inch Corning Gorilla Glass 3 touchscreen which is beautiful to the eye and fairly responsive to touch.
The L671 weighs 135g and it's fairly light to carry around even if it has a removable battery - something leading smartphone brands have ditched. It also fits perfectly in the hand and in the pocket.
Dual SIM
The smartphone can take two micro SIM cards.
The primary SIM is used to can make or receive phone calls and use data to access the Internet, just as in other standard smartphones.
Users can use the second SIM to manage voice calls and SMS only and can specify which SIM handles voice calls, text messages and data.
Operating system
The Hisense Infinity PureShot LTE (L671) smartphone runs on Android 5.0 (Lollipop) operating system (OS) which guarantees good performance of the device. Even playing games with lots of graphics was impressive, thanks to the OS's performance.
It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8929 (1.36 GHz) octa-core processor and boasts 2GB of RAM.
The other plus is that it comes with 16GB of onboard storage and it includes a microSD card slot to further enhance storage by up to 128GB. Ensuring the resilience of the phone is the 5-inch Corning Gorilla Glass 3 touchscreen.
Camera
Armed with a 13MP auto-focus camera at the back and a 5MP front-facing one, the L671 takes quality pictures.
Although the pictures it takes cannot match the likes of the latest Apple iPhone or Samsung, in this day when many users are looking for selfies, this is a good product, especially considering its price.
For those into photography, there are also some impressive adjustments on the phone. There is also an LED flash that works well in dark environments.
The screen resolution is also superb at 720x1 280.
Battery life
The battery life for this phone is worth mentioning. The Hisense Infinity PureShot LTE (L671) smartphone has a 2200 mAh removable battery.
Personally, I want a battery that can last me the whole day. The L671's battery lasts the whole eight-hour working day, unlike some of the other smartphone brands, which need charging more often. It still achieves this even with heavy use.
Charging the battery from 0% to 100% takes about four hours, which is not that long.
Conclusion
With a plethora of low-end smartphones invading the market, especially from China, the Hisense Infinity PureShot LTE (L671) is a force to be reckoned with in this category. Its biggest selling point is, of cause, its price.
Share